The Australian anti-corruption agency announced an investigation into allegations that a former labor minister took bribes from a developer. The minister doesn’t appear to have been contacted for comment. (ABC Sydney)

An investigation in the Indian state of Goa into illegal mining found lots of lawlessness, including bribery of state and federal officials, as well as widespread violations of environmental and mining laws. The dominant miner in the area, which isn’t named in the report, is still taking heat. It declined to comment, deferring to its local subsidiary, which denied any wrongdoing and blamed any violations on rogue miners. (Wall Street Journal)

There’s now audio in the case of a Prince George’s County, Md., city councilwoman discussing with her husband, the county executive, what to do with dirty cash. (Talking Points Memo)

The jail term of one of the central figures in an Alaska corruption scandal is about to end. He was convicted of bribery and tax charges. (AP)

Brazil’s labor minister could be out of a job by the end of the week, according to a report. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Two Mississippi judges and a former lawyer appealed to get their bribery convictions overturned. The U.S. Attorneys Office hadn’t responded as of the writing. (AP)

More coverage of the Alabama state lawmaker pleading guilty to bribery. (Main Justice)

Bribery is hurting the ability of Ugandan companies to expand into new markets, the head of Transparency International Uganda said. (Daily Monitor)

Money Laundering:

Guatemala’s president said he’s authorized the extradition of former president Alfonso Portillo to the U.S., where he faces charges of money laundering. The extradition itself could still take months. Portillo’s attorney said in August the charges are politically motivated. More here. (AP, CNN, Reuters)

An FBI official testified that the agency found money stashed by a Bangladeshi politician at a Singapore bank. The FBI probe into alleged money laundering came at the request of the Bangladesh government; it’s the first time an FBI agent has testified as a witness before a Bangladeshi court. (Daily Star)

James Freis, director of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, delivered a speech at a conference on money-laundering enforcement.

Yemeni protesters are calling for the Arab League to treat their country like Syria: with a suspension and the threat of sanctions. (AFP)

Turkey said Syria is going to “pay dearly” for its actions. Arab ministers are considering what to do. The U.S. welcomed Turkey’s decision to impose energy sanctions on Syria. (RTE.ie, BBC, AFP)

The Philippine government insisted that Gloria Arroyo must stay in the country to face corruption charges despite a court ruling Tuesday saying she is free to leave. (AFP)

FARC, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, has a new leader who is himself already on the Treasury’s blacklist. (McClatchy)

Saudi Arabia’s United Nations delegation said it will submit to the General Assembly a condemnation of the alleged plot in which Iranian elements planned to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington. (Reuters)

Whistleblowers:

A Q/A with the head of Serbia’s anti-corruption agency, who says whistleblowers “do not fare well” there. (Euractiv)

Sidley Austin has a client alert (pdf) on the SFO’s whistleblower hotline.

Ukraine’s parliament rejected downgrading the offense under which Yulia Tymoshenko was convicted, dashing hopes for an early release. (Reuters)

Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer addressed sentencing disparities in white-collar crime during a recent speech. In a related manner, an analysis found that the SEC targets low-level bankers and spares top executives. (Blog of Legal Times, Reuters)

Western Australia named a new head of its corruption commission. The state’s chief justice said it’s impossible to judge the extent of corruption in its public sector. (ABC News, AAP)

The corruption conviction of former New York State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno was vacated. It was expected after a key Supreme Court ruling. More here and here. (CBS6Albany, AP, NY Daily News, Albany Times-Union)

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About Corruption Currents

Corruption Currents, The Wall Street Journal’s corruption blog, digs into the ever-present and ever-changing world of corporate corruption. It is a source of news, analysis and commentary for those who earn a living by finding corruption or by avoiding it. Corruption Currents is written by Christopher. M. Matthews and Sam Rubenfeld and edited by Nick Elliott.

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